"Acts of the Apostles"

I can't count the amount of times I've said I will read the entire Bible in a year. Usually start off relatively well, come January ending....epic fail. That is exactly why reading the Bible in a year wasn't part of my resolution this year. I did make a strong effort to read the entire book of Acts for the month of March. By the grace of God....success!

Today concluded my readings. The book of Acts was so inspiring, stimulating, and encouraging all at once. Each passage depicts the "acts of the apostles" through the power of the Holy Spirit after Jesus commanded them to "be [his] witness to Jerusalem, and all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:7) They were following JC's instructions to preach the gospel to all nations. Acts primary focuses on the ministry of Peter and Paul. At that time the teaching that Jesus Christ is the only way in order for us to be saved was such a RADICAL concept to grasp during those times. As Peter declared in Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in on one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men in which we must be saved." The Jews back them believed in the obedience of the laws of Moses simply as a gateway to heaven. As a result many Jews rejected the teachings of the apostles and plotted numerous times to silence these workers of Christ.

Dude, these people went through so much persecution from beatings, stonings, jail time, even DEATH, and still came up on top because of Christ. I contemplate how I would have reacted if faced with such trials. Not too sure. Good thing I wasn't born then. My point is as brother Paul said at some point "I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 21:13), we need to step it up for Christ. He literally gave HIS life in order to give US eternal life. It such a beautiful thing. To think that we continue to nail him back to that very cross through our actions daily is simply sad.

I'm so grateful for the gift of salvation given to me and the fact that I'm fully aware of Christ's love for me. And I pray that I will be able to be as bold and persevering as these disciples for the sake of Christ. As Easter approaches it's so important to keep in mind what exactly we are celebrating - the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Present Family Affairs...Future Issues

How many times have you said to yourself, "I'm never going to be like my parents." "I'm never going to raise my kids the way I was brought up." "I'll never this or that...."

So the other day I happened to have an argument with my father...the issue, not important. But the following day I woke up and felt very disappointed in the way I handled the situation. Weird. I'm so stubborn to the core and usually think I'm always right. So I was quite taken aback by my remorseful state. Anyways I said God please forgive me and teach me to be a better person not only to outsiders but to those closest to me. A couple hours later I opened this book I haven't read in a while to continue from where I left off and boy was I in for a shock. Let's just say God's timing could not have been more perfect.

The author speaks on how everyone has "them" in our lives. The only requirement for "them" is familiarity. So "them" could be family, pretty much those people who really know how to get under your skin. We are model citizens to everyone else but to "them" we become monstrous beings. I'm thinking...WORD. But why should we behave that? I know I say I'm going to be more loving and affectionate towards my future partner/family but the truth is I don't even do it now. Don't get me wrong I LOVE, I just have a very difficult time expressing that love. My current family relationships should be a training ground for my future relationships. We should "train to model Christ with "them" so we can be really good at it when we get married.

Yes, our family will embarrass us or hurt us in some way but we need to learn to loyally stand by "them." Forgiveness is key. Imagine if God walked out on us every time we embarrass Him! For me that would have been walking out on me over a million times! But no He stuck by me. Amazing! - "We love Him because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19

I moved back home this semester but I'll be moving out again in a few months for work. I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to being on my own once again. But honestly now I'm really looking forward to these next few months I have with my family...to work on mending our relationship, and spending quality time with each other. I want to be the best daughter/sister to my current family, so I can be the best wife/mother to my future family. Emulating Christ in every aspect of our lives is what God requires from us.

Ephesians 4:32

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.